Sunday, June 29, 2014

At 0800 it was already inching toward 80 degrees and high humidity; I knew it was going to be an epic day.

We had an ambitious plan for the only trail day we've been able to muster up for the Knob this year, to replace the suspension bridge, Rhino three sections of rutted trail, and clear the briar and poison ivy infested section of trail leading to the furnace.

The day started early with Dusty, Kevin and I picking up a butt load of treated lumber from Lowes, the closest supplier to our local...

As we got the tool laden Volvo unloaded and workstations set up, folks started to stream in, enthusiastic to help out. In all, we had about thirty fine folks give up their Saturday to lend a hand, so very appreciated.

Aaron and Chris, our engineers on location, took on the task of directing the pre-fabbed bridge sections, Dusty led a hard core group out into the woods to shape trail, Lorena and Emily grabbed the clippers/machete and bug spray to take on the trimming, Christi was painting, and lots of other folks were giving sweat equity to see the Knob rise to it's promise of greatness. I'll let the pics tell the story...

Aaron screwing in the last of the deck boards...

Frankie checking out the completed suspension bridge...

Reclaimed wood from years of building less than sustainable projects, gonna make a heckuva bonfire for the final race in October...

Christi painting up the vultures on the cabin so they welcome our guests with vibrant colors...

Monday, June 23, 2014

Although the Dually rim is touted as tubeless ready, it does need a bit of sweet tape lovin' to get it nice and tight. Especially if you choose to run the Knard in the lower tpi count, which is NOT considered tubeless ready.

The biggest issue I've found with this rim is that it uses a bead "shelf" rather than a bead seat. The shelf does not grip and hold the bead of the tire, encouraging it to seat into the sidewall and protecting it from lateral loads during riding.

To deal with these issues, here is a strategy that seems to work very efficiently.

First, apply some Stan's yellow tape to the center of the rim, effectively sealing off the spoke holes per standard protocol.

Next up, we are going to create a slight raised section on both sides of the rim to encourage the tire bead to stay in place. I grabbed some Gorilla Duct Tape, a nice heavy and easily applied product, and cut two strips about 4mm wide, placing them around the rim about 4mm from the sidewall. Just enough room for the bead to have a little wiggle room while seating the tire but not so much that a strong lateral force will force the tire off of the bead shelf.

Then cut some tape to the width of the rim, running from sidewall to sidewall with no material moving up the vertical surface. Two strong wraps around is all you need.

Use an Exacto knife to clean out the valve stem hole and insert your tubeless valve stem and tighten down. I was able to easily air these up with a compressor, had to work just a little bit more with a floor pump. I seated them with air only, then added fluid through the valve stem.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

I'm having
difficulty in expressing just how I feel right now; pissed off,
frustrated, sad, hopeless. All because I do not understand the
selfishness of some people.

The Knob has stood as a fun and technical trail
since we began to cut the first single track in 1992. During that time
til now, many endearing features have stood as defining characteristics
of the trail system; the rock tunnel, the cradle, hollowed out log
crossings, the squeeze tree, the gold fish bowl, etc...

While
out prepping for trail work today, I discovered that over the weekend
someone took it upon themselves to cut out one of the two trees that
make "the squeeze" on the trail section that runs parallel to McAfee
road, right before the switch back climbs. This feature has been here
since the start, 22 years, with countless cyclists navigating it's tight
constraints. Now it's just another dumbed down section of trail that
will no longer leave an imprint in a rider's memory of the experience.

We are at a crux. This is private property that has been opened for
public use because we want to share it and allow it to enrich other's
lives. Many have invested time and money in this cause only to be
rewarded each time their tires roll across the Knob's dirt. However,
this blatant disrespect has us reconsidering whether this access is
valued in the community. This action shall not be condoned by
complacency in response.

If you are responsible for this, or
know who is, I'd like to hear from you. Taking responsibility now will
go a long way towards preserving access for all in the immediate future.

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About Me

Hey folks, thanks for stopping by. So...what to tell you about Groovy Cycleworks?
Groovy Cycleworks was born back in the heyday of mountain biking, the early 90's, when bright colors, lycra, and cnc parts ruled the roost.
Learning from one of the true engineering masters of cycling, I acquired a love for clean lines, strong designs, and functional elegance.
I've been doing the "custom" thing since 1994; road, mountain, tandem and a full spectrum of forks, stems, etc...
Drop me a line and we'll see if we can build the bike of your dreams.
cheers,
rody